Snow plow



Nov. 10, 1936.

Filed Dec.

c. w. BATES,

SNOW PLOW 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i Q i 2 H I INVENTOR ATTORNEYS NOV. 10, 1936. Q w BATES 2,060,717

SNOW PLOW Filed Dec. l2,l935

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 INVENTOR 6/1479453 14/34 758 WW ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES SNOW PLOW Charles W. Bates WestSpringfield, Mass., as-

signor to Blair Manufacturing Company, Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 12, 1935, Serial No. 54,099

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved handoperated snow plow for cleaning sidewalks and the like.

The general objects of the invention are to provide, in a hand-operated plow of the type wherein the plow blade is set obliquely to the handle for the purpose of forcing all the plowed snow in one sidewise direction off the edge of the walk, an arrangement of wheels for guiding and supporting the plow, enabling it to be moved easily in a forward direction and resisting sidewise movement from the sidewise reactionary thrust of the plowed snow, so that the operator needs to exert no effort to steer or hold the plow in its normal straight, forward course.

The invention alsohas for an object to provide a plow of this type which is simple in construction and capable. of manufacture in quantities at low unit cost and which has few parts to wear or get out of order.

These and other objects will best appear as the detailed description proceeds and they will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the plow when in operative position;

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and rear elevational views, respectively, thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken in the same direction as Fig. 3, showing the mounting of one of the wheels.

Referring to these drawings; the plow includes a blade 5, made of sheet metal. This blade is made up from a rectangular sheet by simply rolling or pressing it to give the slight lateral curvature shown to its front and plowing face 6. Longitudinally, the blade is straight from one to the other of the ends 1. Fixed to the rear face 8 of the blade and centrally between the ends 1 thereof is a handle 9, which is straight and preferably has at its free end a cross bar I 0. The other end of the handle lies between and is suitably fixed, as by bolts II, to a. pair of brackets I2 which are riveted to the rear face of the blade. Other brackets 13 are similarly fixed to said face of blade 5 and are located one on each side of handle 9. Each bracket [3 has riveted thereto a stud I4 (Fig. 4) on which is rotatably supported a wheel I5,preferably having a corrugated tread, as shown at l6, to insure good traction. There should be a liberal space between each bracket 13 and the adjacent end face of its wheel, as shown, to prevent snow from packing in between these elements and impairing the freedom of rotation of the wheel.

The blade 5 is set obliquely to the handle 9.

That is, its lower edge [1, which engages the sidewalk, lies in a vertical plane which is oblique 5 to a vertical plane passing centrally-and longitudinally through the handle 9. And the blade is also set so that, when it is in operative position (with the wheels l5 engaging the sidewalk and the edge I I also engaging or substantially engag- 10 ing the sidewalk), it is inclined to the vertical, sloping upwardly and rearwardly toward the handle. Actually, the blade has a gentle curve, as shown, and its upper portion lies substantially tangent to a vertical plane passing through the 15 upper edge of the blade. The handle slopes upwardly and rearwardly but the slope is somewhat less than that of the blade. As shown, the lower face of handle 9, if prolonged as indicated in Fig. 2 by the line 20, would lie tangent to the curved rear face 8, indicated by the line 2|, at a location close to the lower edge [1. The wheels are spaced one forwardly of the other (Fig. 2) ,but their axes are parallel and lie in vertical planes which are disposed at right anglesto a vertical plane passing centrally and longitudinally through the handle. Actually, the axis of each wheel is not exactly parallel with the sidewalk, when the plow is in operative position. The. brackets [3 are purposely so bent as to give these wheels a slight cant, both in the same direction, as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 4, in which a portion of one of these wheels is shown to a larger scale, the arrangement can be clearly seen. The arrow I9 represents the direction in which 35 the plow tends to be moved by the reactionary thrust of the plowed snow. It will be seen that the wheels are so canted that they tend to dig in when moved in the direction of the arrow. They thus aid in resisting the aforesaid side thrust.

It will be noted that the blade projects outwardly (at its upper edge) only a slight distance from the top face of handle 9 and that the wheels project about the same distance from the opposite face of the handle. This arrangement enables the plow, because it is so nearly fiat in form, to be hung up when not in use with the same facility as an ordinary snow shovel.

In operation, the plow is moved lengthwise of the sidewalk in a direction parallel with the handle 9 and at right angles to the cross bar II]. The wheels I5 support the plow blade 5 and guide it evenly along the sidewalk. The plow may be moved in much the same way and with the same case as a lawn mower. One moves the plow lengthwise along one-half of the sidewalk to be cleaned and the snow, pushed up by blade 5, is thrust laterally to one side, due to the oblique setting of the blade, and thrown off on one side edge of the sidewalk. Then one moves the plow in the opposite direction along the other half of the sidewalk and the remaining snow is thrust laterally off to the other side edge of the sidewalk. The wheels [5, having the roughened tread l6, afford good traction and they also carry a considerable part of the weight of the plow. The operator doesnt have to do much work in supporting the plow. Actually, the weight of the handle overbalances that of the blade and the operator has to lift the handle slightly to hold the blade edge I! in operative position, but this doesnt require any substantial effort.

This type of plow, which thrusts all the plowed snow sidewise in one direction, has not proved particularly practical and has not come into extensive use nor enjoyed commercial success because of the fact that the plow requires too much effort on the part of the operator. He not only has to hold the handle at the proper angle to position the plow blade properly, but he has at the same time to push forwardly on the handle and also sidewise to resist the thrust above described. Lacking the wheels, he has no guide as to the proper inclination of the blade for plowing and no help in supporting the blade. These wheels then are a very important factor, contributing to the success of this type of plow. They support the plow, afford a guide as to the proper inclination of the blade, enable the plow to move easily and also they resist the side thrust described, especially when canted, as above described.

The invention has been disclosed herein, in an embodiment at present preferred, for illustrative purposes, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

I claim:

1. A sidewalk plow, comprising, a blade, a'handle fixed to the rear face of the blade centrally between the ends of the blade, and a pair of sidewalk-engaging wheels located one on each side of said handle, brackets one for each wheel and each fixed directly to the rear face of said blade for supporting each wheel from the blade independently of the other wheel and independently of the handle; the front and plowing face of said blade being straight from end to end and, when in operative position, being inclined. to the vertical, sloping from its lower and sidewalkengaging edge upwardly and rearwardly toward said handle, and said edge being located in a vertical plane oblique to a vertical plane passing longitudinally through said handle.

2. A sidewalk plow, comprising, a blade, a handle fixed to the rear face of the blade centrally between the ends of the blade, and sidewalkengaging wheels mounted on said face and located on opposite sides of said handle in parallel relation therewith; the front and plowing face of said blade being straight from end to end and, when in operative position, being inclined to the vertical, sloping from its lower and sidewalk-engaging edge upwardly and rearwardly toward said handle, said edge being located in a vertical plane oblique to a vertical plane passing longitudinally through said handle, said wheels located one forwardly of the other and resisting sidewise movement of the blade from the lateral thrust of the plowed snow.

3. A sidewalk plow, comprising, a blade, a handle fixed to the rear face of the blade centrally between the ends of the blade, and a pair of sidewalk-engaging wheels located one on each side of said handle, brackets one for each wheel and each fixed directly to the rear face of said blade for supporting each wheel from the blade independently of the other wheel and independently of the handle; the front and plowing face of said blade being straight from end to end and, when in operative position, being inclined to the vertical, sloping from its lower and sidewalk-engaging edge upwardly and rearwardly toward said handle, said edge being located in a vertical plane oblique to a vertical plane passing longitudinally through said handle, said brackets being bent to permanently cant said Wheels both in the same direction and in a direction such that the wheels tend to dig in when the blade is thrust laterally.

CHARLES W. BATES. 

